How to keep Squirrels off Shepherd's Hook

Shepherd's hooks aren't like a classic bird feeding station, in that the unique design of this hook is hard to defend against due to the intricacy of the metal pole.

How to squirrel proof a Shepherd's hook begins with a squirrel baffle bolted on up to 3 feet off the ground. When your particular hook prevents this simple method because of additional brackets or fixings on the pole; hang a baffle above bird feeders to stop squirrels descending, rather than climbing up.

I know it can be a big pain when defending your bird feeders against determined squirrels who will insist on arriving on a daily basis to steal food, while scaring off birds in the process.

Let me tell you though to squirrel proof a Shepherd's hook can be made difficult, if indeed your bird feeder pole is short, has two or three poles impaled in the ground - or it features additional low position brackets or frames used to sit dishes in.

How you'd normally squirrel proof a classic bird feeding station pole, as opposite to a Shepherd's hook that features intricate detailing and ironwork - varies differently with a Shepherd's hook that's made a little more harder to defend against backyard pests.

Why that is because a Shepherd's hook provides multiple ways for squirrels to reach the suspended feeders, with additional brackets or dishes positioned lower on the pole.

Classic bird feeder poles are often a basic tall metal pole with brackets on the end, its only then can squirrels access the bird feeders once they climb to the top, to descend down on said feeders.

How to feed birds without squirrels must be on a bird feeder pole for sure, even though this style of bird feeder pole might not be the best option to deter squirrels.

Similarly, where you position your bird feeder pole matters as you don't want squirrels to jump up or across to the pole via a land bridge or close by object, like a fence.

With that, do keep your bird feeder pole stabilized as squirrels will simply jump up to a leaning pole rather than attempt to climb a more difficult pole that is kept straight.

Bolt on squirrel baffle

How to truly squirrel proof some types of Shepherd's hooks is to simply install a simple squirrel baffle someway up the pole.

Install a baffle some 3 feet up the pole at the minimum to prevent squirrels jumping on the baffle topside.

Baffles that mount to a bird feeder pole is achieved in seconds, with a simple tightening bolt to screw tight as soon as you find the baffle position.

All while bear in mind squirrel baffles can be solid or flexible on the mount, in an effort to kick off jumping squirrels, thus use the type that applies to you.

Complexities of a Shepherd's hook pole varies from a straight pole with a twist in the metal, or it can tangle around for a gothic appearance.

And herein lies the issue, while a classic bird feeding station pole is easy to defend with a squirrel baffle, a Shepherd's hook is a little different in its design.

Shepherd's hooks can be made to lean to one side, they can make use of an full archway or there could be additional frames to hold bird feeder dishes... along with additional brackets that branch off lower down on the pole.

Why this isn't a good thing when attempting to squirrel proof a Shepherd's hook, there's no place to mount a squirrel baffle when any squirrel could simply use these additional brackets to hop above the baffle.

Similarly, an archway style Shepherd's hook that utilizes two or three poles that are impaled into the ground, will be impossible to defend against.

Best squirrel proof bird feeder pole you can buy is a tall straight pole with no additional fixings on a tall bird feeder pole.

Suspend on hang-type baffle

Making attempts to defend what could be restricted to just the one bird feeder or the occasional two feeders, may not depend on defending the pole at all.

Shepherd's hooks can be a super structure of which it won't be compatible with a squirrel baffle, as squirrels can find ways around it.

Instead then you can think about squirrel proofing a hanging bird feeder with use of a different type of baffle.

Rather than a squirrel baffle installed on the Shepherd's hook pole itself, you could find a baffle to hang above the suspended feeder to be more appropriate for your needs.

Its simple to use, hang the clear plastic squirrel baffle on the Shepherd's hook bracket hook, then suspend any feeder beneath the hanging style squirrel baffle - where a hook will be made available to hang bird feeders on the underside.

Result will be a bird feeder hung below what is hopefully a deep in the underside of the baffle, which will guarantee to keep squirrels well away.

Suspend bird feeders under a hanging squirrel baffle knowing squirrels will unlikely access feeders below it, unless you provide some kind of leverage for squirrels to still access the feeder from the side or below.

Widen metal pole width

When your particular one or two bracket Shepherd's hook provides enough height in the pole, you could think about slotting on some bottles to deter climbing squirrels.

What this entails is emptying two or three large soda bottles, where you'll make a hole in the bottom center of the bottles with the lid removed on top.

Now each bottle can be slotted onto your Shepherd's hook with the pole pushed through the bottle opening to come out through the bottom.

How you'll install the bottles would be by partially disassembling the pole, or pushing the bottles up through the bottom end of the Shepherd's hook pole.

You'd need to briefly remove the pole out of the ground but it could be the easy solution.

What will happen now with up to three plastic soda bottles stacked on top of each at the bottom of the Shepherd's hook, is it will kick squirrels off as they should struggle to get their claws around big fat rounded plastic soda bottles.

Squirrels can climb up a metal pole with ease whereas a big rounded bottle is super hard for them to climb up.

What you could call a homemade squirrel baffle, just make sure the bottles are not too firmly installed on the pole as the movement goes towards throwing off squirrels.

On a similar note, people often install a Slinky on a bird feeder pole which does act in a similar way, only the Slinky in due course will become insufficient as it will be damaged due to wear and tear.

Soda bottles on the other hand will last for months if not years, where you can finally recycle it as soon as it comes to the end.

Avoid indefensible hooks

While I have provided ways to stop squirrels climbing a bird feeder pole elsewhere, I go into more detail on a Shepherd's hook in particularly, because the intricacy and entanglement of a Shepherd's hook pole is difficult to defend against.

Bird feeding station poles tend to be a straight pole with no additional brackets or mount joints anywhere up the pole.

Whereas a Shepherd's hook will loop over to one big bracket to hang a bird feeder on, with additional brackets or a frame to hold a dish in one to two spots some way up the pole, in a low down position... and far too close to the ground.

And that is a crucial piece of information to know because additional low down brackets or mounts on the pole, will only provide a stepping stone for squirrels.

In which case I really don't have a solution for you to squirrel proof a Shepherd's hook with frames or brackets positioned low down - as a squirrel baffle installed on this type bird feeder pole, just won't work unfortunately.

With that, not all Shepherd's hooks have additional brackets or frames that only go towards assisting squirrels or even chipmunks, thus life becomes a little easier to keep squirrels off a bird feeder, hung on the bracket above.

One bird feeder can be suspended on Shepherd's hooks at a time, thus no additional baffle is required when you need to defend just the one feeder.

Do install the squirrel baffle up to 3 feet up the Shepherd's hook of yours, with a too low down position risking access to squirrels as they jump above the baffle position.

Summary

If your Shepherd's hook allows it, then its vitally important to begin your defense against a troublemaking squirrel, by mounting a squirrel baffle up to 3 feet up on the pole.

Shepherd's hooks in particularly can make this difficult because they are made in such a way, defending against backyard pests isn't taken into account.

What your left with is a twisting and turning iron or steel metal pole with more ways than I can count to allow squirrels to freely climb up the pole to reach the feeders.

To utilize a Shepherd's hook that is simply 6-7 feet tall straight metal pole with one or two brackets on top, then its possible to squirrel proof this type of pole.

In the same vain as a standard straight tall Shepherd's hook, you could be given the opportunity to hang a different style of baffle above feeders - to stop squirrels at the point of the bird feeders - as oppose to defending the often difficult pole.

Rather than rely on any kind of store-bought baffle you could make you own with use of three or four empty large soda bottles, with an hole in the bottom.

With that, you'll need to stack three or possibly four soda bottles on top of each other so they come to sit on the ground of the Shepherd's hook pole... which will in effect make the pole wider, and therefore harder to climb.

Squirrels can climb a thin metal pole but will have serious difficulty getting their claws around a big fat flimsy plastic bottle.

You can squirrel proof a Shepherd's hook for sure, though its vital you don't attempt to on a complex, twisted and often a short pole, as squirrels will simply reach bird feeders on this type with little trouble - which is a waste of your time with any additional expense.

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